


You Charmed The Heart Right Out Of Me

by RimmieTimmie



Category: Harry Potter RPF, Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: F/M, M/M, Other, but nobody else is, gavin is a wizard, kind of, magical au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-25
Updated: 2017-11-09
Packaged: 2018-05-23 05:35:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6106549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RimmieTimmie/pseuds/RimmieTimmie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gavin had adapted to living the muggle life. So when Ryan comes rushing into his life, his magical aura is thrown out of the window, and mayhem ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Perfect Weekend Alone

**Author's Note:**

> This has been re-written, so please read again!

Gavin  _loved_ magic. Raised in a Pureblood family, magic was at the heart of everything he'd done growing up. George and Gavin had spent each summer playing in the garden on their child-sized brooms (their mother was terrified of the mayhem they'd cause on full-size brooms), playing Quidditch and developing their magical skills. George had loved hand magic - he had green fingers, with a real passion for Herbology. Gavin would watch with fascination as George would conjure flowers in his hands with little difficulty. 

Gavin's magic was slightly different. It was haywire, like electric, striking at random and with powerful surges. He'd eventually gain control over the years, channelling his energies into crafting the most deadly potions, though of course, he'd never use them. It was the knowledge, the power of being able to create a strong Draught of the Living Dead. 

George had been sorted into Hufflepuff, Gavin into Slytherin. The two boys tended to keep out of each other's way whilst they were at Hogwarts, gaining their own beliefs, morals and set of friends. And whilst they saw little of each other at Hogwarts, come summer, the two boys would be out in the garden, learning new spells, potions, playing Quidditch and enjoying their magical upbringing. 

Gavin met Dan when we has sixteen. Dan's parents travelled a lot, and he attended the Durmstrang Institute. Dan's family had been living in Scandanavia when he'd turned 11, and with Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry not accepting foreign students, Dan had little choice but to attend. Despite moving back to Oxfordshire when Dan was 13, he'd settled at Durmstrang, and was quite happy to attend there for the rest of his magical education. 

The two young wizards had become fast friends, with Dan often spending time with the two Free brothers, teaching each other the cultures of their respective wizarding schools and playing Quidditch. 

So all in all, when Gavin uprooted his life and moved to Austin, aged 18, it was quite a shock to the system. Sure, Oxfordshire wasn't a predominantly wizarding area, but he'd been able to use magic under close watch of his parents. 

Austin was nothing like Oxfordshire. Gavin had been thrust head-first into the spotlight, and he found his ability to cast magic whenever he chose dwindled almost immediately. It had been difficult to adjust at first, but left with little choice, he'd adapted. 

There was one thing Gavin did miss, though; Quidditch. The nearest Quidditch team was in Houston, a three hour drive away. The Houston Harpies were a good team, but it was difficult for Gavin to escape to watch a match as often as he'd have liked. 

There were few wizards in the general area that Gavin lived. He'd pick up a flash of magical aura occasionally, but most wizards seemed to keep to themselves, integrating into Muggle life with ease. 

And whilst Gavin did miss his fellow wizards, he never felt lonely. 

That was something Geoff Ramsey was determined would never happen.

 

Since moving to America, he’d lived with Geoff. At first his friend, then his boss, and then his American father. The original living arrangements were for a few weeks, but as it turns out, Gavin got attached to the Ramseys pretty quickly, and the feeling was certainly mutual. Three years later, he was still there.

Despite loving the two, though, living with them did have its negatives. Namely, the fact that there was now nowhere he could use magic; it was definitely ruled out at work, and Geoff and Griffon thought Wizards and Witches were nothing but myths.

Sometimes he longed to tell them. He knew they wouldn’t tell anyone, and it would certainly make things easier, but he’d be breaking the International Code of Secrecy, i.e. unnecessarily revealing magic to Muggles. Besides, there was always the risk that they would freak out on him and almost certainly kick him out.

It was for that reason that Gavin loved weekends like this past one. Geoff and Griff were visiting Griffon’s parents in Oregon, meaning that Gavin had the house to himself this weekend (minus the pets), and that could only mean one thing – magic!

Gavin had been deliciously lazy throughout the weekend, using his magic for the slightest of tasks: switching the kettle on, picking up a throw cushion, stirring his tea – he’d been well and truly lazy.

He’d cleaned the house within five minutes, the plates washing themselves in the sink with the flick of a wand and stacking themselves neatly into the draining rack. The cushions on the sofa straightened themselves, the coffee table watermarks wiped themselves away, leaving the house clean and tidy.

Knowing that the Ramseys would be returning within the hour, Gavin made his way out of the main house and across to his extension, opening the door to the stench of three day old plates.

He wasn’t the tidiest person when his magic usage was restricted.

He pulled his wand out of his pocket (his use of hand magic was never extensive nor very accurate) and began to survey the room.

Clothes, both clean and dirty, were strewn across the floor, chair and every other available space. There was a pile of dirty plates on the dresser, some of which looked rather disgusting and had a particularly nasty odour.

“Scourgify” Gavin spoke, directing his wand towards the dirty plates. At once, they appeared to scrub themselves, the stains and stench disappearing immediately. “That’s better.”

A knock echoed at his door, and he quickly stashed his wand in the top drawer of his dresser before going to open it.

Standing there was Geoff, his hair messy and his beard scruffy, with big bags under his eyes. Gavin smirked at the sight of his friend, raising an eyebrow at his even-scruffier-than-usual appearance.

“Don’t even say it, asshole.” Geoff grunted, walking past Gavin and into the studio.

“Say what, Geoffrey?” Gavin asked innocently, closing the door in Geoff’s wake. “You look ravishing, by the way.”

“Fuck you,” Geoff muttered. “I’ve just dealt with Griffon’s parents for three days, give me a break.”

“Nah, that wouldn’t be any fun.”

Geoff groaned, rolling his eyes at Gavin before collapsing into Gavin’s armchair. He sat there for a few moments before reaching over to the nightstand, where a bottle of whisky sat. He rummaged around until he found a glass (that had been cleaned by magic not a moment ago) and poured a generous amount into it.

“Am I glad to be back,” Geoff smirked. “It’s like being back in Alabama, just old, judgy people everywhere.”

“Yeah?” Gavin asked, only half paying attention.

“You’d think I was the devil for having tattoos, honestly.” Geoff chuckled. “It’s fun to scare old people.”

“You’re terrible,” Gavin grinned.

“You love it.” Geoff replied, chuckling. “Oh, by the way, gold star for you for cleaning your room.”

“Wow, a whole gold star! Just for me, no foolin’?” Gavin mocked.

“Shut up. Come on, Griffon’s making fajitas.”

And that marked the end of Gavin’s weekend of magic. Until the Ramsey’s next went out of town, Gavin would have to make do with occasional stolen moments of magic, trying to limit magical outbursts whilst simultaneously honing his skills.

 


	2. Dungbomb Disasters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A harmless prank leads to much more for Gavin.

The first time Gavin had been to Diagon Alley, he was 9 years old. His father’s wand had been damaged for some time; he was an inventor of spells (or so he liked to think), and this often meant that unfortunate (and very funny) things would happen to Mr Free. Once he emerged out of his shed with one pink eyebrow and one green eyebrow, claiming a switching spell gone wrong – Gavin and George had laughed for ages about it.

So they took a visit to Diagon Alley. Gavin often reminisced over the wonder he felt that very first time – the rustic cobbled streets, the whimsical stalls, and of course, Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour. _Ryan would love it there_ , Gavin thought.

He made sure to visit Diagon Alley every time he was back in England, though that wasn’t very often any more. Workload was getting tougher, and sometimes Gavin did dream of moving to a magical-dominated settlement. The closest gathering of witches and wizards was a small town near Houston, over three hours away from Austin.

But despite his longing for his favourite magical street, Gavin still loved Austin. He was a million miles away from home, but he belonged here. His friends were here, his family, his entire life. Sure, he missed magic, but what was more important than friendship?

_God, that sounded so Gryffindor._

Besides, Gavin had found little ways to incorporate magic into his daily (muggle) life.

And that came in the form of Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes.

Gavin had experimented with various products of theirs over the years, pranking most of his colleagues – but the very best were dungbombs.

He liked to let one off in the kitchen, which caused particular mayhem when combined with a vanishing spell; the source could never be found, so the smell lingered.

Besides, it always cheered Geoff up to see everyone running round, covering their noses with t-shirts, desperately trying to find the source of the stench.

Gavin has eventually left the kitchen following his latest ‘air freshener’ feeling rather pleased with himself. He sat down at his desk, switching on his Xbox and loading up some Fallout 4. Following a rather impressive settlement (because really, he wasn’t going to do actual work), he decided to grab a beer from the fridge in the kitchen, a well-deserved beer at that.

Yet it was not the disappointingly warm beer that surprised him.

It was the sight of Ryan, holding a steaming dungbomb in his hand, and a wand in the other. There were puddles of exploded dungbomb on the floor surrounding Ryan’s feet, and a frown on  the man’s face.

“Ryan?” Gavin asked softly, and the other man jumped out of his skin.

Ryan turned to face Gavin, obviously trying and failing to keep a calm, straight face. He quickly tucked the wand into the back pocket of his jeans and feigned innocence, but he knew that Gavin had seen.

“Like my new cosplay? It’s a new take on Gandalf.” Ryan spoke, scratching the back of his neck.

“Mm, the beard isn’t quite right.” Gavin replied, frowning. “You might need to grow it out a bit more.”

“I’ll get to work on it.”

Ryan only managed to take three steps in the other direction before Gavin grabbed his arm, pulling him back around. Ryan sighed, knowing he had been caught out.

“Let’s go and talk, yeah?” Gavin suggested, trying to calm a clearly panicked Ryan.

The two walked out of the kitchen, Ryan’s wand hidden in his jeans, and eventually found an empty conference room on the other side of the building. Ryan sat down in a chair, Gavin on the table opposite him, and the two sat in silence for several moments.

“Want to explain?” Gavin offered.

“What is there to explain?” Ryan half-heartedly suggested, avoiding Gavin’s eye.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Ryan! I know what you sodding well are!” Gavin sighed. “Just explain, please.”  


“What do you want me to explain?” Ryan asked evasively.

“Why don’t you start with how you can see the dungbomb that’s invisible to everyone else?” Gavin suggested, taking a sip of the water bottle he’d grabbed from the kitchen.

“That’s what that thing was?”

“So you admit you can see it?” Gavin challenged.

“Fine,” Ryan sighed, followed by a deep breath. “I’m a wizard.”  


“Wow, you’re taking this Gandalf cosplay seriously.” Gavin said, attempting to keep a straight face.

“No, Gavin, I mean-“

“I know. I know what you mean.”

“You do?”

The two men stared at each other for a minute, trying to gauge the other’s reaction from their facial expression, but both men were keeping their cards close to their chest. Eventually, Gavin decided to take the lead.

“Show me.”

“I’m sorry?” Ryan spluttered, his cheeks reddening slightly.

“You say you’re a wizard, show me.”

Ryan frowned for a moment, internally questioning why Gavin was so calm about this. Gavin, on the other hand, was going mental inside. His mind was going a mile a minute and his palms were sweating – he had to find out exactly what was going on here.

Ryan hesitated over his jeans pocket for a second, before sliding his wand out. He pointed it into the air, concentrated for a second, and then spoke softly, “Avis”. Bird-shaped vapour spat out of his wand unwillingly, and collapsed within seconds.

“I – uh – “

“Rye-bread?” Gavin asked softly.

“What, Gavin?” Ryan.

“I’m a wizard.”

“You?” Ryan questioned, surprise evident on his face. “Prove it.”

Gavin, not having his wand on him, put all of his energy into creating a flame in his hands, the flickering light cradled in his palms. He conjured it long enough for Ryan to see that it was not some sort of illusion, and then let the flames die.

“I never knew you were magical.” Gavin frowned. “I never picked up on your aura.”

“I, er, don’t have much of one. I’m not very good at magic.”  


“You aren’t?” Gavin repeated, puzzled.

Gavin only knew Ryan as extremely intelligent; he’d always picked skills up reasonably quickly and had incredible patience with learning, so to learn that Ryan was bad at magic was a shock. Gavin wasn’t even aware that _you could be bad at magic._

“My parents were muggles. Very against magic.” Ryan sighed, looking rather embarrassed. “I never went to school. Magical, anyway. Use of magic was forbidden, so my magical core sort of… dwindled.”

“So you can’t do magic?”

“I can, just not very well. I’ve slowly been learning these past few years.” Ryan said. “You’re the first wizard in Austin I’ve met.”

“Likewise.” Gavin said. “Does anyone here know?”

“God, no!” Ryan shook his head. “One person can keep a secret. More can’t.”

“Where do we go from now?” Gavin asked quietly.

“I don’t know…” Ryan trailed off. “We could always… try to forget about it. Just not acknowledge that we know. Go about our lives?”

“That sounds good.”  


The two men left the conference room in separate directions, but their paths were undeniably crossed from that point on. After all, magic has it’s way of connecting people.


	3. The Shared Interest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin is struggling to come to terms with Ryan being a Wizard, and Ryan certainly isn't making it any easier on him.

Perhaps the thing that Gavin missed most about the magical world was being surrounded by other magical people. As much as he loved his friends and colleagues, he truly missed magical interaction; Quidditch matches and duels and Potions clubs. He'd loved going to Quidditch matches as a kid, and he'd never truly grown out of it. There was something special about the thrill of watching the players zoom by, staring in awe at the newest line of broomsticks, the smell of Butterbeer in the air.

  
Sometimes he thought about giving it up. Going back to England, taking up the many offers he’d had to work in Potions.  He'd trained to be a Potions master for a while, but it always seemed to serious to him. Sure, he loved Potions - it was such a delicate art, similar Muggle Chemistry, but it was slow-paced work, and Gavin craved the fast-paced life that Achievement Hunter provided. So, yeah, he'd think about rejoining Magical England, but he’d go into the office, see his friends laughing and joking, and he’d know that he could never give this up.

  
Today was one of those days when he wondered what it would be like – to just give it up, accept his magical personality. It was hard to reject his magic sometimes - well, not reject it. Supress it, Gavin supposed. The magical urge never quite left him, no matter how much he suppressed it. Sometimes he could feel his magical core burning, itching to release. Those times really tested his patience.

  
Gavin was currently in the office, which was thankfully empty. If Geoff were to walk in, he'd see the dumb grin on Gavin's face, and probably make a sex joke. Gavin knew that using magic at the office was risky, and there was always the threat of somebody walking in, but  _it was so hard to resist sometimes_. 

  
Time seemed to pass so much slower when Gavin's core was itching. Every second begged him to cast even the most simple of charms, the small voice in his head stating that  _nobody would notice_. He knew better than to listen, of course. Checking the time and finding that it was still early, Gavin headed into the work kitchen to make himself a cup of tea and maybe even make some toast – Burnie had lately installed a toaster, sick of hearing people’s stomach grumble during Monday Morning meetings.

  
His family couldn't understand how Gavin lived the Muggle lifestyle. His family used Magic like they used Oxygen - without even thinking about. If he walked into the kitchen, he'd find the kettle boiling itself, milk floating and a spoon stirring the tea without a hand to guide it. He missed it, of course he did, but he could at least get used to making a cup of tea the Muggle way. Gavin snapped out of his thoughts at sudden noise, and turning to the source,mug of tea in hand, saw Geoff walking in, Ryan beside him, the two talking seriously in hushed tones.

  
Geoff and Ryan came to an abrupt stop in front of Gavin, both suspiciously adopting casual expressions in favour of their previously sombre ones. Geoff shot Gavin a lazy grin, making a swipe for his mug (to which Gavin responded with squawking noises). Ryan simply watched the interaction with a smirk, leaning against the counter opposite Gavin. 

  
“Everything okay?” Gavin asked, raising an eyebrow.

  
“Sure is, Gavvers.” Geoff replied. “Just talking to Ryan about some work.”

  
Geoff seemed to notice the strange tension between the two - though it wasn't particularly difficult to, you could cut through with a knife it was so thick - and took that as his cue to leave, hastily waving goodbye and retreating back to the office, clicking the door shut behind him. 

Gavin hadn't truly known how to act around Ryan since he discovered the blond's magical abilities. It wasn't that Gavin disliked Ryan being a wizard - he was still the same Ryan, after all. It was just... strange. Meeting a wizard in Austin was few and far between. Sure, there were plenty of magical folk around, but they preferred to integrate into Muggle life, their magic a secret. 

So whilst Gavin had been acting strange towards Ryan, the latter had made it very obvious that he wanted to speak to Gavin. Whilst Gavin had been avoiding this at all costs, he knew that he was being unfair to Ryan.

  
“I um," Ryan spoke, stuttering over his words. "Can we - uh - um - talk?"

  
“What do you want to talk about?” Gavin asked, sipping from his mug and attempting to feign innocence. He knew he was being an asshole, but  _what did Ryan want him to say?_

  
“Our, erm – shared interest.”

  
“Oh.” Gavin replied, his face falling slightly.

  
“Is that... Okay?” Ryan checked, frowning at the other Wizard's response. “We don't really have to, I mean, I know it's not the most normal-“

  
“It's fine,” Gavin rushed, his voice shaky. “Just – not here. Not in public. Come over tonight, Geoff and Griffon are going out for their anniversary. We can talk then.”

  
“Around 6 okay for you? I'll bring takeout.” Ryan offered, the relief evident in his voice.

  
“That's fine, Rye.”

  
It was not fine. It was absolutely not fine. Gavin had been freaking out ever since he'd discovered Ryan's magical powers. Sure, Ryan himself was harmless, but it was hard enough to keep one wizard a secret in such a small area, let alone two. It had led Gavin to wonder how many more magical folk there were at Rooster Teeth. Statistically speaking, there had to be a Squib, if not a few more wizards and witches. 

Ryan was dangerous. He was untrained, uneducated. He knew little of wizarding practices, magical culture. There wasn't a wizard in Britain who was stupid enough to have his wand out in broad daylight, in a predominantly Muggle settlement. Gavin himself didn't know much about wizarding secrecy laws in America, but if Ryan were in Britain, his wand would have absolutely have been confiscated by now.

But what could Gavin do? Ryan wanted, no, he  _needed_  help, because at this rate, Ryan was going to expose himself. And Texas was not the most forgiving of places for things abnormal. Moreover, if Ryan was revealed to be magical, they'd start looking for other signs, and then  _Gavin could be exposed_. 

_No_ , Gavin decided,  _he needed to help Ryan_.

Gavin had to wonder how little of the Magical world Ryan had been exposed to. Had he ever been to a Quidditch game? Did he even know about Quidditch? It hurt Gavin to think of a life without Quidditch in it. What about Butterbeer? Honeydukes sweets? Hangover potions? How much had Ryan missed? 

Gavin couldn't have Ryan not know what Quidditch was. It was his moral duty at that point.


	4. Wingardium Leviosa?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin teaches Ryan the basics.

Gavin had been pacing up and down for the past fifteen minutes, anxiously awaiting Ryan’s arrival. Sure, they both knew about each other’s magical status by now, but that didn’t mean that Gavin felt better about the situation.

What did Ryan want to talk about? Had he told someone at the office that he was a wizard? Had he told anyone that Gavin was a wizard? Gavin knew he wouldn’t blab deliberately, and hell, he didn’t even know the consequences of breaking the code in America.

Just when he thought his nerves couldn’t stand it anymore, a knock at the door echoed through the house, dragging Gavin out of his nervous panic and into action. He rushed down the hallway, taking a deep breath before opening the door.

“Hey, Rye.” He announced casually. “Thanks for coming over.”

“Thanks for letting me,” Ryan retorted.

Gavin showed Ryan in, leading him into the lounge and closing the front door behind him. He quickly dashed to the kitchen, grabbing himself a beer and a diet coke for Ryan.

When he returned to the lounge, he found Ryan perching awkwardly on the edge of the sofa, the very picture of awkwardness. Gavin handed the man the drink wordlessly, sitting down on the sofa next to him.

“You wanted to talk?” Gavin asked.

“I need help,” Ryan admitted.

“Help?” Gavin questioned. “What could I help you with?”

“Magic.”

Oh. _Oh._ Gavin pushed down the initial wave of panic, knowing that he needed to be calm for his friend. It was clear that Ryan was very uncomfortable talking to Gavin about this – he hadn’t had involvement in the magical world, unlike Gavin.

“What do you need help with?” Gavin asked, and upon seeing Ryan’s face fall, starting again. “Tell me clearly, and calmly.”

“I – uh – this is so awkward.” Ryan sighed. “I’m terrible at magic, okay? All I know is from dusty textbooks that are a thousand years old.”

“So you want me to teach you magic?” Gavin asked, raising an eyebrow. “You know there’s tutors for this sort of thing.”  


“Yeah, for eleven year olds, Gavin.” Ryan snorted. “They won’t take me on. I’m too old, too difficult to teach. I want to know, I want to learn.”

“You’re such a Ravenclaw.” Gavin snorted.

“What’s a Ravenclaw?” Ryan questioned, his brow furrowed in confusion. _It was kind of cute_ , Gavin thought with a smile.

“It’s a house. Like a team, in the wizarding school I went to.” Gavin explained. “They’re the smart ones.”

“Is that so?” Ryan retorted, raising an eyebrow. “And what house were you in?”

“Slytherin,” Gavin said proudly, his chest automatically puffing out with pride. “The house of the ambitious and cunning.”

“ _Of course you are_ ” Ryan sighed. “Will you teach me?”

And Merlin, did Gavin want to say no. He wanted to go back to pretending he was the only wizard, to protecting his carefully guarded secret, but it only took a second of glancing at Ryan’s hopeful gaze to make the decision.

“Yeah, I suppose.” Gavin shrugged, attempting to appear non-commital. “Where to even start? What do you know already?”

“I can do basics, I suppose.” Ryan shrugged, his cheeks turning pink in embarrassment.

“Can you levitate things?” Gavin asked, and Ryan gave a half-hearted non. “Okay, let me see it.”

Ryan nodded, rummaging around in his jacket pocket and pulling out a wand – ebony, Gavin noted. Interesting. Ryan gripped the wand tightly, standing a few feet away from Gavin. The Brit picked up a throw cushion, placing it on the floor a few feet in front of Ryan.

Ryan’s eyebrows furrowed in concentration, and he pointed his wand at the cushion, and he proclaimed “Wingardium Leviosa!”, his face falling when the cushion did little more than twitch on the ground.

He looked at Gavin, his cheeks burning, expecting a snicker or even full-on laughter. But Gavin was frowning, watching Ryan with an intense sort of concentration.

“Well?” Ryan asked, after several uncomfortable moments of silence.

“There’s nothing wrong with your magic,” Gavin spoke, his voice surprisingly calm. “It’s your technique. The little things are most important with magic.”

Ryan nodded, understanding what Gavin was saying and feeling slightly relieved that Gavin seemed to think his magical core was fine, though there was still a niggling doubt.

“May I?” Gavin checked, stretching his hand out for Ryan’s wand. Ryan nodded, handing the wand over.

Gavin examined it in his wand for a second, and then cast a simple “Avis” charm, the Avian apparitions floating around in the air for a few seconds before disappearing. Ryan bit his lip, Gavin’s seemingly effortless use of magic depressing him further.

“Your wand is fine. Needs a good clean and service, maybe, but it works.” Gavin spoke, handing Ryan his wand back.

Instead, Gavin pulled his own wand out – Larch wood, Dragon Heartstring, Nine Inches – and turned to Ryan.

“Watch me carefully. Don’t watch the cushion, watch how I move my wand, listen to exactly how I pronounce the incantation.”

Ryan nodded, a wave of desire to impress Gavin washing over him. He instead looked at Gavin’s wand, held so comfortably in his tanned hand, like it had been there for the majority of his life. _Well, it had_.

Gavin stood, his feet a few inches apart, his wand raised confidently. He cleared his throat, and then in a confident, determined tone, proclaimed, “Wingardium Leviosa!”  


The cushion began to rise, hovering as Gavin kept his wand poised. Ryan had immediately noticed the difference in how Gavin cast magic, compared to himself. Gavin said each word with diction, his intentions clear. His movements were sharper, more angled.

“Okay, now let’s have you try.” Gavin nodded, and Ryan shrugged once more as Gavin lowered the cushion to the ground.

Ryan attempted to picture Gavin’s actions in his head, and with a firm grip on his wand, spoke clearly and with determination, “Wingardium Leviosa!”

The cushion hovered shakily a few inches above the ground for a few seconds, before dropping back down to the floor with a quiet thud. Ryan tried not to be dismayed – it was already an improvement, and it was still his first go, but that didn’t starve off the worry pooling in his stomach.

“That was better,” Gavin spoke, his voice encouraging. “Better. Definitely better.”

He moved over towards Ryan, standing next to him with his wand outstretched. Ryan moved to mirror Gavin’s stance, wand outstretched in the same manner.

“May I?” Gavin asked, and Ryan nodded.

Gavin moved to stand behind Ryan, adjusting the taller man’s stance slightly and wrapping his arm around Ryan’s wand arm. Ryan barely flinched at the unexpected touch, instead allowing Gavin to move his wand into a different position.

“Now, try again.” Gavin spoke. “You’ve got to really picture the cushion levitating.”

Ryan nodded  - _he felt like that’s all he’d been doing_ – and pictured the small cushion floating in mid-air, focusing all his willpower on that, alongside all of Gavin’s small instructions, and cast;

“Wingardium Leviosa!”

He nearly dropped his wand in shock when the cushion barely shivered before lifting into the air. He resisted the urge to cry out in celebration, gently lifting the cushion higher and moving it side to side.

“I’ve never done that before,” Ryan admitted. “It’s never properly gone like that.”

“I told you that you’d be able to do it, you dope!” Gavin grinned. “You just need a little help.”

“You’re my little helper, then?” Ryan smirked.

“I suppose I am. Though I don’t come cheap.”

“The amount you owe me in unpaid bets? I think it’s settled.” Ryan chuckled, rolling his eyes.


End file.
